1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and a discharge restoration method for the apparatus. The present invention can be applied to printers, copying machines, facsimiles having communication systems, apparatuses such as word processors having printer sections, and industrial recording apparatuses compositely combined with different types of processors, which perform recording on recording media such as paper, yarns, fibers, fabrics, leather, meals, plastics, glass, wood materials, and ceramics. In the present invention, the term of xe2x80x9crecordingxe2x80x9d means rendering to a recording medium not only images such as letters, figures, and so forth which have meanings to be transmitted, but also images such as patterns and so forth which have no implications.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, ink jet recording apparatuses have been widely used, in which a recording head provided with plural discharge openings is caused to scan along a recording medium, and droplets of ink are discharged through the discharge openings to the recording medium for recording.
In such an ink jet recording apparatus, ordinarily, before the recording starts or at exchange of the ink tank or the recording head, so-called discharge restoration such as preparatory discharge or suction restoration is performed. The discharge restoration is carried out in order to remove foreign matters such as relatively large bubbles contained in thickened ink in the vicinity of the discharge openings or ink in the recording head whereby desirable discharge conditions are obtained. Especially, in many cases, when the ink tank is exchanged, relatively intensive suction-restoration, and additionally, preparatory discharge are performed.
In order to exchange an ink tank in an ink jet recording apparatus, ordinarily, a cover for exchanging the ink tank is opened. In particular, when a user opens the cover to exchange the ink tank, the recording head having the ink tank mounted thereto is automatically moved to an ink tank exchange position. The user removes the used ink tank, mounts a new ink tank thereto, and closes the cover. Then, the suction is automatically performed.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a conventional processing routine at opening-closing of the cover.
First, it is determined whether image data to be recorded has been transmitted from a host computer (step 41). If the image data has been transmitted, then command analysis is executed, and recording-operation is performed (step 49). To the contrary, while image data is not transmitted, that is, in the recording-waiting state, it is detected whether the cover has been opened or closed by means of a sensor switch provided so as to work in coordination with opening-closing of the cover (step 42), and it is determined whether the cover has been opened or closed (step 43). If it is determined that the cover has been opened, then the recording head is moved to the ink exchange position (step 44). Furthermore, it is detected whether the cover has been opened or closed by mean of the above sensor (step 45), and it is determined whether the cover has been closed or not (step 46). If it is determined that the cover has been closed, the recording head is moved to the home position at which a suction mechanism is provided (step 47), and the suction restoration is executed (step 48).
As described above, many of conventional ink jet recording apparatuses each have such a mechanism that when the open-close operation of the cover is detected, it is decided that the ink tank has been exchanged, and the suction restoration is automatically performed.
However, a user opens the cover not only to exchange an ink tank but also to check recording- state or the remaining quantity of ink in the ink tank, and so forth during recording operation. Thus, in many of the conventional ink jet recording apparatuses, the suction restoration is automatically performed, even if the cover is opened-closed not for the purpose of exchanging an ink tank, as described above. Accordingly, the ink is consumed in vain.
Furthermore, when the recording head is exchanged, similar problems arises. That is, a user opens the cover not only to exchange the recording head, but also for other purposes, e.g., in order to check recording-state during recording operation or the state of ink stuck to the discharge opening face and so forth of the recording head. In many conventional ink jet recording apparatuses, the suction restoration is automatically performed, even if the cover is open and closed not to exchange an ink tank, as described above. Accordingly, the ink is uselessly consumed.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and a discharge restoration method, in which restoration can be securely performed when the cover is opened and the recording head is exchanged, and the restoration is not executed when the cover is open and closed for another purpose, not to exchange an ink tank or a recording head, whereby useless consumption of ink can be reduced.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and a discharge restoration method, in which a switch as a means for inputting information with respect to the restoration is provided under the cover, whereby such situations that a user turns the switch on by mistake, causing the restoration to consume ink vain, and so forth can be avoided.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a restoration means for executing restoration of a discharge opening through which ink is discharged for recording; an openable cover for covering a recording means relevant to the recording; a detecting means for detecting whether said cover is in an open state or a close state; a switch provided in a position in which said switch is covered with said cover when said cover is in the close state and can be turned on when said cover is in the open state; and a control means for controlling the execution of the restoration of said discharge opening by said restoration means, if said detecting means detects that said cover is in the open state, and said switch is turned on.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a restoration means for executing restoration of a discharge opening through which ink is discharged for recording; an openable cover for covering a recording means relevant to the recording; and a switch for inputting a command relevant to said restoration means and provided in a position in which said switch is covered with said cover when said cover is in the close state, and can be turned on when said cover is in the open state.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a discharge restoration method comprising steps of: detecting that an openable cover for covering a recording means relevant to recording is in an open state; turning on a switch provided in a position in which said switch is covered with said cover when said cover is in a close state and can be turned on when said cover is in an open state, if said cover is in the open state; and controlling an execution of a restoration of a discharge opening through which ink is discharged for recording, if the open state of said cover is detected and said switch is turned on.
According to the present invention, if the cover is opened and closed, and in addition, a user exchanges an ink tank or the recording head, the restoration is executed. If the user does not exchange the tank or the head, the restoration is not executed. Thereby, the restoration can be executed, only when it is required, and useless consumption of ink can be suppressed. Moreover, the time period when the unnecessary restoration is carried out can be eliminated. Thus, the recording work efficiency can be enhanced. Moreover, advantageously, even if the user opens the cover to check the recording state for recording and so forth, the recording operation is not stopped. Thus, the user can be prevented from feeling uneasy.
In addition, according to the present invention, such situations that the user turns the switch on by mistake, causing the restoration which results in useless consumption of ink can be prevented by providing the switch as a means for inputting information with respect to the restoration.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings).